While You Were Offline: His Name Was Prince and He Was Funky

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While You Were Offline: His Name Was Prince and He Was Funky

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Well, that was certainly a rough week. Prince passed away on Thursday (we'll get to in a second), and before that the world lost Chyna, Negativland's Richard Lyons, and British comedian Victoria Wood. This was also the week where fans who grew up listening to the Smashing Pumpkins had to deal with what Billy Corgan has become these days, so you know, there was that. While you've been struggling through the last seven days, however, there were maybe some things you missed. That's why we're all here right now, to trawl (troll?) the underside of the last week's World Wide Web.

His Name Was Prince and He Was Funky

What Happened: The Internet tried to come to terms with the news of Prince's death.Where It Blew Up:EverywhereWhat Really Happened: Let's be honest: 2016 has been a horrible, horrible year when it comes to celebrity deaths. Not that any year is necessarily good for such things, but 2016 has been especially brutal, a fact drilled home by the death on Thursday of Prince Rogers Nelson, at age 57. In pop culture terms, losing this 5'2" giant is a loss comparable only to someone like David Bowie, who just passed in January (again, 2016 has been terrible).

And All Those Who Sail in Her

What Happened: The votes are in, and the United Kingdom has demanded that the winner, well, not actually win. Wait, what?Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media think piecesWhat Really Happened: Perhaps you recall the public vote in the UK to name a new research ship run by the Natural Environment Research Council. Even if you don't, you're likely to remember the name that was leading the poll—and easily winning the hearts and minds of most of the Internet in the process: Boaty McBoatface. This week, it was revealed that Boaty had easily won the poll. And that was where the trouble started.

It all began when British science minister Jo Johnson told the BBC that the government would "review" the names suggested in the poll, adding that "many of them were imaginative, some were more suitable than others." Boaty McBoatface was, it was suggested, one of the latter. "I think we were clear when launching the competition that we were looking for a name that would be in keeping with the mission," Johnson said. "You want a name that fits the gravity and the importance of the subjects that this boat is going to be doing science into."

The Takeaway: Should the ship not end up being called Boaty McBoatface, there's only one thing for it: Someone has to use that name for a pirate vessel. One captained by Pirate McPirateface, obviously.

They Did It All for the LuLz

What Happened: The Internet convinced lots of people that Limp Bizkit were playing a surprise gig at a gas station on 420. In related news, people still remember Limp Bizkit.Where It Blew Up: Twitter, blogsWhat Really Happened: This plays out like a cautionary tale about ... stoners? Limp Bizkit fans? Ohioans? Perhaps all three. It all started with a Facebook event page that announced that Fred Durst's rap-rockers were holding a secret show on 420 at, of all places, a Sunoco gas station in Dayton, Ohio. Thousands of people were invited, but even more impressively, more than 1,500 said they would definitely be attending.

The Takeaway: Really, who could have seen it coming that when it came down to it, it turned out to be the highway, not his way?

The Best Use Yet for The 'I Voted' Stickers

What Happened: Ever wondered what the purpose of those "I Voted" stickers was? New Yorkers came up with a pretty great answer.Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media think piecesWhat Really Happened: It probably didn't escape your attention that this Tuesday was primary day in New York state. There was even an attempt to make "I Voted" stickers into a meme on the day, but it turned out that that honor would end up going elsewhere. Namely, onto the gravestone of a very important woman.

For those unfamiliar with Anthony, you should probably read up on her, because she's kind of a big deal, but what's important at this point is the role she played in the women's suffrage movement in the US. Basically, without her, women might not have the vote—which makes the fact that so many women gave their "I Voted" stickers to her grave so poignant.

Be Glad You Weren't Dating in the '90s

What Happened: You think dating today is hard? Twitter got behind a hashtag to consider what it would've been like 20 years ago.Where It Blew Up: TwitterWhat Really Happened: The hashtag #90sPersonalAds started trending late Thursday, revealing two important facts. Firstly, even the concept of a "personal ad" feels dated in an era of online dating—Craigslist hookups aside, I guess—and secondly, lots of people today have very curious ideas of what the 1990s were actually like. (Napster wasn't even released until mid-1999, you young hooligans! Get off my lawn!)